Authentic Medicine

At what point does posting thoughts on how a disease affects you become posting about what you think constitutes medical advice? If journalism can become a do-it-yourself type of industry online, can medicine? Can the social aspect of medicine overshadow real medical advice? Probably not since there are staunch laws to prevent someone from signing off on any medical advice with having an MD in hand along with the proper training - but let's think about how PLM delves into the murky waters of at-home medical advice. Is there any harm in giving someone else with the same bad menstrual cramps that you have the advice to "use a hot water bottle?" No, but what about telling someone about the medication and dosage you're taking for your Bipolar II? That could be misconstrued, and yes, the user taking your advice would be at fault for taking the advice, but still - the possibility is there. So it all boils down to this question: Is Patients Like Me more social or more medical?